I live both sides yearly. If they are giving out SS, they anticipate GS going out. Reserves will have a crack at GS, which again, are basically reserve with conflict. SS allow pilots who are below the trigger to get premium pay. SS allow commuters to get better shots at premium pay. Yes, commuting is a choice but so so many GS go out that are impossible to commute to, especially with all the auto accepts.

SS are not going to take the place of GS. It requires too much forethought by the company and something like 80% of all GS occur due to disrupted trips and sick calls

 

I hear this argument thrown out there from time to time.

But this seems directionally accurate. Abuse, if it even exists, is probably minuscule.

Besides, Delta knows this will be a thing when they hire military pilots who don't have full military retirement pension status.

1. Military pilots are a known and sought after quantity.

2. If they share their time with the military for 5-7 years finishing up pension-status obligations part time with the reserves, at the end of it, Delta has them 100% for the remainder of their civilian-only careers. This is almost 3 decades worth of DAL only time.

3. In the interm, Delta gets their services at least 70% of the time.

It's Big-D's choice, they're happy with it. Delta used to famously hire primarily from the military. I suspect they would again if the pilot pipeline ever allows that kind of pickiness again.

I very much doubt MIL leave abuse is anywhere near as extensive as sick leave abuse, which doesn't end and probably gets worse over time, not better.

 

There is a leveling mechanism. SS is PAY and CREDIT. Max ALV+15 is a leveling mechanism. Sure somebody drop their schedule and can once in a while fill half their schedule with SS. That's why it's called seniority

 

Seniority is not absolute. It's why every other premium trip has a leveling mechanism

 

ALV+15 is a leveling mechanism.

 

Eh, that's like saying the size of Scrooge McDuck's vault is a wealth leveling mechanism.

 

So a cleared schedule flying only SS can only amass 170+ hours of pay on SS alone? Sure that's a leveling mechanism.

See:

 

That's not a leveling mechanism. You know what a leveling mechanism is. Your bias is showing. We all know you're one of the few people who are able to credit surf

 

Just like a senior pilot can buddy bid a busy LCP get all trips dropped and amass 200+ hrs. It's called seniority

If enough people feel that strongly about the current language of SS's it'll be changed on the next contract.

Anyone with enough seniority can credit surf. Plus the Union has a step by step guide in the EFB on how to do it

Also yes it is a leveling mechanism. You can't WS past ALV+15 but you can swapboard pickup all the way to FAA limits

 

This would be an easy sell to the company. Heck they might even want to give us something to do it and pay pilots lower on the longevity scale for SS. Just like GS.